


All I Know Is Pouring Rain

by StaircaseScorpius



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Book: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Harry Potter Next Generation, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Spoilers, M/M, POV Scorpius Malfoy, Post-Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Rain, Scorbus, Scorpius Malfoy & Albus Severus Potter Friendship, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter Fluff, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22506904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StaircaseScorpius/pseuds/StaircaseScorpius
Summary: 'Cause all I know is we said helloAnd your eyes look like coming homeAll I know is pouring rainAnd everything has changed.'-Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter have known each other for a long time. They've seen seasons come and go, braved stormy weather together. But now, everything has changed.Part of SunshineScorpius's Scorbus Song Fic collection!
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 14
Kudos: 77
Collections: Scorbus Song Fics





	All I Know Is Pouring Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by lyrics from the song 'Everything Has Changed' - thank you Sam for organising this collection!

It was raining when they met. Nervous smiles and mumbled names and a shared bag of sweets while grey raindrops streaked the windows of the train. 

* * *

It was raining the day they said goodbye for summer after first year. Sun in the distance, clouds above, a mist of warmth around them as they watched their families approach outside the station and promised to write. ‘See you in September, then,’ Albus said. Scorpius nodded, and ducked out from the umbrella Albus held, bursting to tell his mum as many stories as he could about his new best friend. 

* * *

It was raining that day in second year, when a cruel laugh in the corridor after Charms and a shove from a classmate during lunch and a snide remark about the ‘ _son of Voldemort_ ’ found Scorpius sitting alone and miserable at a fifth-floor window. He was timing his anxious breaths to the patter of drops against the cool stone walls when Albus came to find him. 

‘Who was it?’ he asked quietly, leaning against the wall. 

Scorpius sighed. ‘Does it matter?’

‘I guess not,’ Albus said, dropping his bag to the floor and perching next to Scorpius on the windowsill. 

‘Aren’t you going to dinner?’ 

Albus fixed Scorpius with a _don’t-be-ridiculous_ look that was starting to grow familiar. ‘Not if you’re staying here,’ he replied, ‘I’d have nobody to talk to anyway.’

Part of Scorpius wanted to smile, and part of him wanted to close his eyes and try to block out every detail of the day. Silence settled between them as they sat and looked out at the grounds.

* * *

It was raining for the funeral. Cold, hard rain that poured down the church walls like a fountain and washed away the mud that had been tracked up the stone path by the guests. Scorpius was almost glad for it. It gave a physical presence to the chilled, sharp hollow in him where half of his heart had been ripped out and tossed into the ground to lie buried next to his mother. He let the rain soak through his thick wool coat, let it run in rivulets through his hair and over his brows, let it pool in the soles of his shoes.

Albus stood beside him the whole day. When relatives asked questions about school, Albus answered. When Scorpius couldn’t face being around people any longer, Albus snuck into the kitchen and brought back plates of food for them both. When Scorpius started to shiver, Albus insisted on switching coats. 

‘I’m sorry for today,’ Scorpius muttered as they drew the hangings round their beds back in the school dormitory. 

‘Don’t be. Was the least I could do.’

* * *

It was raining in Godric’s Hollow, for a little while. Snow turned to sleet turned to rain, and they shuffled together next to an ancient stone wall beneath an oak tree and recounted snippets of stories they’d been told as children. Scorpius looked at Albus, shivering and half-smiling, eyes burning green and hair turned black with moisture. 

‘If we weren’t stuck here, what do you think we’d be doing right now?’ Albus asked after a few seconds of quiet. 

Scorpius shrugged. ‘I’d probably be asleep.’

Albus glanced at his watch. ‘It’s half past eight.’

‘Well, I’m tired,’ Scorpius said petulantly. Albus rolled his eyes and laughed, and the sound seemed to lift some of the weight from Scorpius’s shoulders. 

‘You’re impossible,’ Albus said, and reached out a hand, palm up, to catch the drops falling from the rust-hued leaves overhead. Scorpius watched the water splash onto the pale skin of his friend’s hand, and thought to himself that he really had no reason to feel as peaceful as he did just then. 

* * *

It was raining for two weeks straight in March. Quidditch was cancelled, the walk down to Care of Magical Creatures on Thursdays was a perilous mudslide, and the castle was filled with restlessness. Students were stir-crazy, playing pranks and snapping at each other, and Scorpius was barely sleeping. 

When the nightmares woke him again, Albus pulled him from the dormitory by the hand and led him to the astronomy tower. They stepped onto the balcony and Scorpius looked towards an inky patch of sky in the north and saw a single star winking back. 

‘The clouds are starting to clear.’

Albus leaned forward against the railings, arms folded. ‘Fingers crossed. I think James might actually quit school altogether if he has to go another day without quidditch.’ He turned to face Scorpius, resting his head on his hand. ‘Are you alright?’

Scorpius fought with the urge to dismiss everything as fine. He’d been doing that for too long. ‘I can’t sleep,’ he said quietly, hesitantly. ‘It’s the cruciatus memories, mostly. It, um. It hurts. But I… I think I might speak to someone about it.’ He focused on the distant treetops of the forest.

‘I think that would be good.’ Scorpius looked up, half-surprised, half-relieved. He wasn’t sure what reaction he had been expecting but Albus met his gaze steadily. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’

Scorpius considered for a second, then nodded. 

‘That’s settled then,’ Albus said, and turned to look back out at the dark clouds, one hand resting softly on Scorpius’s shoulder. 

* * *

It was raining the afternoon they were supposed to go to the beach. Almost a month of dry heatwave had left the countryside surrounding the Potters’ house parched and yellow, and everything felt lazy - trees rustling gently in the sluggish breeze, bees drifting in and out of the flung-open windows at dusk. Static hummed through the air all day until a great crash of thunder split the sky and they stood in the doorway as fat raindrops began to splatter the dry lawn. 

‘No beach for us, then,’ Albus pouted, turning to throw the old towel and flip-flops he’d been carrying back into the house. 

Scorpius craned his neck to look up at the clouds gathering above them. ‘At least the plants will enjoy it,’ he said absent-mindedly, shuffling forward. The scent of water hitting the parched earth was intensifying and he could hear Lily shrieking from the back garden, running back inside. 

‘Who cares about the plants?’ Albus grumbled, ‘I wanted to go out, I’m sick of essays.’ 

‘Shouldn’t have left them till the last week of summer holidays then,’ Scorpius teased with a grin. ‘Why don’t we go out anyway?’

Albus raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t think it’s going to stop any time soon.’ He was right. The deluge was getting heavier and a flash of lightning lit the clouds in the distance.

‘I don’t care,’ Scorpius replied, and he kicked off his trainers and dropped the bag he was holding and jumped from the doorstep to the grass outside. ‘Come on,’ he called over his shoulder, and he didn’t need to look back to see if Albus was following. 

Thunder rolled and rumbled above them as they dashed barefoot down the dirt path and through the fields next to the house, the rising wind whipping at their hair and clothes and pelting them with warm rain. Scorpius felt laughter bubbling in his throat as he abandoned all reservations and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, Albus at his side. 

The beach was empty. They paused at the top of the dunes, breathless and drenched. Scorpius tried to wipe the rain from his eyelashes, but his hands were dripping wet too, and then Albus was shouting ‘Race!’ and launching himself down the slope towards the sea, and Scorpius thought _fuck it_ and followed. He ran and yelled and splashed into the waves, and Albus splashed right back. Lightning flared above them again, like the crack of a whip. It occurred to Scorpius that he ought to be scared. He wasn’t. 

Another blaze of white light and Albus was illuminated, a sharp profile outlined against the grey ocean, familiar but somehow new. He reached for Scorpius, wrapping him in a sopping-wet hug, then yelping and stumbling back, pulling them both down into the waves. Scorpius laughed and spluttered and wrestled with Albus, feeling sixteen and free and like the storm had awoken something in him that didn’t want to be tamed. 

* * *

It was raining during their last revision session. Holed up in the library, Transfiguration notes spread out over two tables, trying to ignore the noise from the grounds below where the teachers had cast water-repelling spells over the courtyard so all the students who had already finished exams had somewhere to spend their free time. 

‘Can you pass me that red book?’ Albus said through a yawn. 

‘Which?’ 

Albus gestured languidly with his quill. ‘That one, on your left. Can’t remember the name, but I had a bookmark in it somewhere.’ 

Scorpius passed the book across and Albus rifled through to find his bookmark, then rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands before summoning as much concentration as he could to focus on the miniscule print. 

‘When do you think you’ll finish?’ Scorpius asked, after ten minutes or so of more silent reading. ‘I think I might pack this stuff up soon.’

Albus looked up from the same page he opened the book on. ‘Are you saying you’re going to finish revision _before_ me? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?’ He feigned an expression of deep concern and leaned across to cover Scorpius’s hand with his own on the glossy wood. 

‘Ha, well,’ Scorpius laughed and cleared his throat, pulling his hand away. ‘I feel like I’ve probably done as much as I can. This time tomorrow, it’ll be out of our hands.’ 

Albus leaned back in his chair. ‘No more exams, ever. No more Hogwarts soon either.’ His expression was unreadable. 

‘Mmm,’ Scorpius fidgeted with the spine of his notebook and looked out at the stormy sky. There was something unsettled deep in the pit of his stomach, and he was trying hard to believe it was only exam stress. It was just about working. 

* * *

It was raining when he waved goodbye to the Potters outside Malfoy Manor. Only the slightest summer drizzle, dampening his shoulders as he stood halfway down the drive, holding the stack of books Albus had dropped off before they left. 

‘Owl me as soon as you get your NEWTs results,’ Albus said in a low voice while his family waited a few yards away. ‘I think we’ll probably be in Romania with Uncle Charlie by then, or perhaps France if they come early. Post will be slow but I want to hear, yeah?’

Scorpius nodded and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. ‘Have an amazing trip,’ he managed, before Albus was called over by his dad. The Potters grinned and waved and shouted goodbyes to Scorpius, and then they were gone in a swoosh of cloaks and air.

* * *

It was raining when he went to meet Albus at the station. His knuckles were white around the handle of his umbrella and his heart was in his throat. The steady patter of raindrops around him helped to deaden the noise of the crowds rushing to and from their platforms, and he occupied his brain with thoughts of the first time they’d met at this same station. 

Two months, eight days, four hours since he’d been left alone on the drive outside his house, convincing himself that he’d been right to turn down the invitation to join the Potters on their trip. Two months, eight days, and about three and a half hours since he’d realised he’d made an idiotic mistake and that no swanky Ministry of Magic work experience was worth spending that much time without Albus. 

Albus. Who had found time to write to him almost twice a week, from eight different countries. Albus, who had asked him and only him to meet him at King’s Cross when he got back to England. Albus, who had told him he didn’t give a shit if he only got an _Exceeding Expectations_ in his Divination NEWT instead of a clean sweep of _Outstanding_ s, he was proud. Albus, who had revised with him and listened to him and run through the rain with him, every year since they were eleven. Albus, who was appearing through the arched entrance of the station and walking towards him. Oh no. 

‘Hey you,’ Albus called. He looked freckled and tanned, and he was beaming. 

Scorpius gripped his umbrella tighter. ‘Hi.’

‘Miss me?’ Albus was next to him now, shaking the rain from his hair, and Scorpius held the umbrella forward to cover them both. 

‘Of course,’ Scorpius mumbled. _It had to be now, it had to be. He’d planned this for weeks_. ‘Actually, I-’

‘Well, not as much as I missed you,’ Albus cut across him, and launched himself into a hug, wrapping his arms around Scorpius’s neck and balancing on his toes. Scorpius closed his eyes and swallowed, squeezing Albus a little tighter and using the extra seconds to gather what courage he could muster. 

‘Albus, I…’ Scorpius pulled back a little, and Albus dropped his arms to his sides. Scorpius fixed his gaze on the raindrops shivering at the hem of the umbrella. ‘After you left,’ he began, ‘Er, on the trip I mean, when we said goodbye…’

‘I shouldn’t have gone without you.’ Albus’s voice was matter-of-fact, and Scorpius was speechless. He looked down into those deep green eyes and it felt like coming home. 

* * *

It was raining that night. They splashed over puddles and dodged spray from muggle cars as they made their way to the little flat above the bookshop, and Scorpius pulled Albus inside the cramped hallway and they were inches apart in the half-light, the lock clicking softly behind them. 

‘Do I get the full tour, then?’ Albus asked, a mischievous smile playing at the corner of his mouth. 

‘Mm,’ Scorpius leaned in to whisper, ‘After this.’ 

He laced the fingers of his left hand with Albus’s right, let his other hand find its way to Albus’s heart. All that registered in his mind by the time their lips met was the gentle white noise of rain and traffic on the street below and the steady pulse beneath his skin. 

* * *

It was raining this morning. Scorpius woke warm and tangled in crisp sheets, and he lay still and listened to the drops on the window until he felt movement beside him. When he opened his eyes he saw Albus on his side, his face scrunched up and pressed into the shoulder of his t-shirt, his hair a mess of knots. 

Memories of last night drifted through Scorpius’s mind - two hands entwined, the silhouette of Albus in the doorway of his room, three words spoken under his breath after being held in his heart for so long. Albus stirred again and his eyes were half-open, squinting in the pale morning light. 

‘Still raining?’ he mumbled, reaching a hand across to rest against Scorpius’s arm. 

Scorpius traced circles on the back of Albus’s hand. ‘Still raining,’ he repeated.

He looked to the window and watched the raindrops inching their way down the glass, the same way they had on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago. 

It’s still raining. Somehow it always seems to be raining. But this time, everything has changed. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! It's been so fun taking part in this collection so a big shout-out to Sam for her hard work putting it all together. 
> 
> I love reading your comments here, or you can find me on Twitter/Tumblr @trolleybitch 💜


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